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PC Perspectivehttp://www.pcper.com/images/podcast-logo-600x600.pngenNew Hack Allows Kindle Paperwhites To Be Used As Wireless Display For Rasbperry Pihttp://www.pcper.com/news/General-Tech/New-Hack-Allows-Kindle-Paperwhites-Be-Used-Wireless-Display-Rasbperry-Pi
<p>The Raspberry Pi makes for a cheap and low power media PC, file server, or desktop but the lack of a display means that it is not very portable. Recently a hack was posted online by Max Ogden that enables the <a href="http://www.pcper.com/category/tags/raspberry-pi">Rasbperry Pi</a> to be used on the go by pairing it with an Amazon Kindle and its e-ink display. His wireless display setup was actually based on a previous hack that allowed the Pi to be paired with the 3rd-generation Kindle. Ogden&#39;s hack takes things a step further by supporting <a href="http://www.pcper.com/news/Mobile/Amazon-Unveils-New-Kindle-Paperwhite-Upgraded-Display">the latest Paperwhite versions</a> as well as no longer requirig a wired connnection between the display and the Raspberry Pi.</p>
<p>By loading the Raspberry Pi with Raspian Linux and adding a terminal emulator to the Kindle, the Kindle connects to the Pi over an SSH session where the Pi console and any keyboard input can be seen on the Kindle&#39;s e-ink display. The hardware needed to make the setup work includes a Wi-Fi hotspot, a Wi-Fi USB NIC, The Raspberry Pi, a supported Kindle, and a battery pack with enough juice to power everything. A wired or wireless keyboard and Wi-Fi dongle can be added to the Raspberry Pi Model B, bu Model A users will need to add a USB hub as the $25 model only supports a single USB port on the device itself.</p>
<p class="rtecenter"><div class = "center-article-image"><a href="/news/General-Tech/New-Hack-Allows-Kindle-Paperwhites-Be-Used-Wireless-Display-Rasbperry-Pi" class="inline-image-link" title="View: kindle-table.png"><img src="/files/imagecache/article_max_width/news/2013-04-03/kindle-table.png" alt="kindle-table.png" title="kindle-table.png" class="pcper-inline" width="602" height="602" /></a></div></p>
<p class="rtecenter"><em>Max Ogden shows off his new portable battery-powered Raspberry Pi with wireless e-ink display.</em></p>
<p>There are some limitations to this setup. One is a bit of latency between typing and seeing the characters appear on the screen due to the low refresh rate inherent in e-ink displays and the wireless connection. Ogden <a href="http://maxogden.com/kindleberry-wireless.html">estimates</a> that this delay is around 200ms, and is noticeably but bearable while typing. The other major limitation is that the display can currently only be used to display the Pi console, and not the GUI of Raspian. For writing code or articles, you could get by with a command-line text editor like nano or vi--at the very least it would be a distraction-free writing environment as you could not procrastinate and browse Reddit or watch videos even if you wanted to (heh).</p>
<p>If you are interested in setting up your own wireless Raspberry Pi display, you should <a href="http://maxogden.com/kindleberry-wireless.html">check out Ogdens blog for a list of recommended hardware</a> as well as Rod Vagg&#39;s tutorial on <a href="https://gist.github.com/rvagg/5095506">configuring the Kindle Paperwhite</a> with the correct software.</p>
<p>This is one of the more-useful Raspberry Pi hacks that I&#39;ve seen so far. Hopefully, a future hack will come along that will also allow one of these e-ink devices to display the GUI desktop environment and not just the terminal.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.pcper.com/news/General-Tech/New-Hack-Allows-Kindle-Paperwhites-Be-Used-Wireless-Display-Rasbperry-Pi" target="_blank">read more</a></p>http://www.pcper.com/news/General-Tech/New-Hack-Allows-Kindle-Paperwhites-Be-Used-Wireless-Display-Rasbperry-Pi#commentsGeneral Teche-inkkindlemobilepaperwhiteRaspberry Piwireless displayWed, 03 Apr 2013 17:43:05 +0000Tim Verry56912 at http://www.pcper.comAmazon Announces New Kindle Paperwhite with Upgraded Displayhttp://www.pcper.com/news/Mobile/Amazon-Unveils-New-Kindle-Paperwhite-Upgraded-Display
<p>Amazon announced at a live event today that its popular <a href="http://pcper.com/category/tags/kindle">Kindle e-reader</a> is getting an upgrade. The most significant upgrade is a new display which has a higher resolution and is (front) lit. As a result of the new display, Amazon is calling the new Kindle e-reader the Kindle Paperwhite, suggesting that the e-ink display is now closer than ever to replicating actual paper (though without the new book smell).</p>
<p class="rtecenter" style=""><div class = "center-article-image"><a href="/news/Mobile/Amazon-Unveils-New-Kindle-Paperwhite-Upgraded-Display" class="inline-image-link" title="View: Amaon Kindle Paperwhite Lineup.jpg"><img src="/files/imagecache/article_max_width/news/2012-09-06/Amaon%20Kindle%20Paperwhite%20Lineup.jpg" alt="Amaon Kindle Paperwhite Lineup.jpg" title="Amaon Kindle Paperwhite Lineup.jpg" class="pcper-inline" width="602" height="398" /></a></div></p>
<p>The new Kindle Paperwhite comes in two versions, one with free (whispersync) 3G and the other with only Wi-Fi. The physical keyboard is replaced with a touchscreen (like the Kindle Touch) and the e-reader is now 9.1mm thick and 7.5 ounces (a bit under half a pound). <a href="http://www.theverge.com/2012/9/6/3296627/amazon-new-kindle-paperwhite-announcement">The Verge</a> quoted Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos in saying the Kindle Paperwhite is &quot;thinner than a magazine, lighter than a paperback.&quot; Further, the display panel has a stated 62% more pixels than its predecessor, with 212 pixels per inch (PPI). Due to the nature of e-ink, Amazon had to get creative with the lighting and had to place the lighting element above the display (e-ink is reflective). This new &ldquo;Light Guide&rdquo; is a thin layer of material that takes light produced by LEDs along the edges of the display and spreads it over the entire display. Doing this allows Amazon to maintain the thin form factor and make the e-reader useable in more environments (readable in bed, or outside on a clear day, for example).</p>
<p>Software improvements allow the Kindle to start up in 60 seconds, 15% faster page turns, and free storage in Amazon&rsquo;s Cloud Drive. In addition, the Kindle Paperwhite supports showing book covers in your library, (reading) time remaining in book chapters, and X-Ray reference material technology. According to Amazon, the Kindle Paperwhite&rsquo;s battery has also been improved, allowing up to 8 weeks between charges (I&rsquo;m assuming that includes stand-by time, not just when active/reading).</p>
<p class="rtecenter" style=""><span style="text-align: center; "><div class = "center-article-image"><a href="/news/Mobile/Amazon-Unveils-New-Kindle-Paperwhite-Upgraded-Display" class="inline-image-link" title="View: Amazon Kindle Paperwhite_Light Guide.jpg"><img src="/files/imagecache/article_max_width/news/2012-09-06/Amazon%20Kindle%20Paperwhite_Light%20Guide.jpg" alt="Amazon Kindle Paperwhite_Light Guide.jpg" title="Amazon Kindle Paperwhite_Light Guide.jpg" class="pcper-inline" width="602" height="398" /></a></div></span></p>
<p class="rtecenter" style=""><span style="text-align: center; ">The new Light Guide used to light up the Kindle Paperwhite&#39;s display.</span></p>
<p>Both Kindle Paperwhite e-readers will be available on October 1<sup>st</sup>, 2012. The 3G model will cost $179 while the Wi-Fi model will cost $119. Amazon is currently taking pre-orders for the devices, as well.</p>
<p>Meanwhile, the current Kindle e-reader is going to continue to be available &ndash; and is getting a nice price cut. At a new price of $69, I expect it to sell like Honey Buns (forget hotcakes). That is a price that is definitely impulse buy territory, and also makes it easy to give as a gift. I expect that it would also make a good device to give to kids to try to get them interested in reading. At $69, it won&rsquo;t be as big of a deal if they break it (heh).</p>
<p>What do you think about the new Paperwhite Kindles? I&rsquo;m interested to see one of the displays in person, to see if it lives up to the claims of replicating the look of paper. You can find more photos of the new Kindle over at The Verge&#39;s <a href="http://live.theverge.com/amazon-kindle-fire-paperwhite-reader-event-live/">live blog</a> of the event.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.pcper.com/news/Mobile/Amazon-Unveils-New-Kindle-Paperwhite-Upgraded-Display" target="_blank">read more</a></p>http://www.pcper.com/news/Mobile/Amazon-Unveils-New-Kindle-Paperwhite-Upgraded-Display#commentsMobileamazonkindlepaperwhitewhispersyncThu, 06 Sep 2012 18:10:42 +0000Tim Verry55277 at http://www.pcper.com